Ultimately, the right engagement ring for you is the one that you fall in love with. But having said that, if you’re not sure where to start, keep in mind that certain stone shapes will be better suited to certain shapes and sizes of hands. So while you may have fantasised about a princess cut all your life, your finger could end up saying yes to an oval.
Consult our handy (ahem) guide below before you set foot in a jewellery store…
If you’re #blessed with long fingers, most rings will look good on you. In fact, you’ll probably be in the Champagne-problems territory of struggling to narrow down the selection.
- Round and princess-cut diamonds will look classically beautiful, but you have leeway to explore more unusual shapes, like an emerald, cushion or Asscher (remember to go for a high clarity grade).
- Sure, size isn’t everything, but a larger centre stone will help to keep everything proportional on long fingers.
- Opt for a slightly thicker or eternity band, or even a split shank – again, all in the name of proportion.
The right stone for you is one that creates the illusion of length, so…
- Opt for an oval, north-south marquise or a pear-shaped stone.
- If you still have your heart set on a round or princess cut, then there’s good news for your future fiancé: a smaller carat weight in this shape will suit your finger better than a massive rock, and will actually appear larger than it would on someone with long or very slender fingers.
- A narrow band will also come to the party for you in terms of creating the illusion of length.
Like your long-fingered friends, most shapes will work on your hand. There are still a few things to keep in mind, though…
- If your digits are on the skinny side, you need to be mindful not to overpower them. Your fiancé can go easy on the carats, and splurge on clarity and colour.
- If your fingers are slender and short, or bordering on childlike, opt for an elongating stone like an oval, north-south marquise or a pear-shaped stone.
- If your fingers are slender and long, well… First, let us know what life is like as god’s favourite. Second, opt for a princess, round or Asscher cut, which will offer more depth than surface area, creating a lovely sense of (say it with us now) proportion.
- A slightly thicker band will add some flattering width to the overall effect.
Good news! Wider fingers can carry off some truly statement pieces of jewellery.
- The trick here is to go bold but without making the finger appear any wider than it already is, so choose a stone or design that shows the least amount of skin on either side.
- A wide oval, emerald cut, pear or east-west marquise will be ideal.
- Wider fingers are just begging to be adorned with a large centre stone. But if a high carat weight isn’t in the budget, you can still achieve a sense of proportion by opting for a smaller stone in a halo setting, or by going for a trilogy ring.
If you have large or knobbly knuckles, it’s tempting to choose as dainty a ring as possible. However, you’d be better served by going with something a little show-stopping, which will draw the eye away from your joints and to the ring.
Remember to take your manicure into account, too. Don’t go ring-shopping with two-inch pointed gel tips if you’re more of a short-and-square girl in your day-to-day life. Your ring needs to suit the real you.
Now that you have an idea of your ideal stone shape, why not start putting together your Preposal mood board?
